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Chapter 23 — Shinnō's Death? Sudden Anomaly
A sharp whoosh cut through the air as Shinnō slammed his foot against the floor, his body springing backward like a coiled spring unleashed.
He had been on full alert from the start. The instant Konan made her move, he reacted without hesitation.
In a flash, he leapt past the pool where the Zero-Tails was sealed, retreating decisively—showing no concern that his creation might be caught in the crossfire.
Konan's eyes narrowed. With a cold snort, she flicked her hand; the rain of white paper kunai hovering midair instantly changed direction, redirecting toward Shinnō as he retreated through the air.
Faster than his Body Flicker Technique.
The swarm of white blades swept through the air like a storm, swallowing Shinnō whole.
He's not gonna die that easily, is he? His moves were pathetic… Alex thought, watching the flurry of paper fill the air.
From that first evasive movement, it was obvious—Shinnō's mind reacted faster than his aging body. He was sharp, but too slow.
Age had dulled him. His power barely reached that of a special jōnin.
Clang! A wooden log tumbled from the storm of kunai, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
Alex sighed inwardly. Heh, so the old man still has some tricks left.
Just before the paper kunai struck, Shinnō had managed to use the Substitution Technique—barely escaping death.
But twenty meters away, his true body flickered into view.
He looked miserable—five paper kunai had impaled his chest, their points buried deep and soaked crimson.
Though he had substituted at the last possible moment, Konan's attack had been too fast, leaving him no time for a complete defense. His hands had formed seals half a beat too slow.
"The years… have caught up to me after all…"
Shinnō lowered his gaze to his chest. The gray fabric of his robe was quickly drenched red. Pain radiated from each wound, sharp enough to make his vision swim.
Sweat beaded on his forehead as blood gushed freely, draining the life from his body with frightening speed.
Five mortal wounds.
One kunai, in particular, had pierced straight through his heart.
Anyone else would already be dead.
But Shinnō—renowned as a medical genius—immediately activated his healing jutsu. Faint green light glimmered at his wounds, slowing the bleeding by half.
But not enough. He was only delaying the inevitable.
His breath rattled, his body trembling.
"Kh… khh…" Shinnō coughed violently, crimson spilling from his lips. "So this is… the power of a Kage-level shinobi… such an overwhelming difference…"
It was his first time facing one head-on.
Two exchanges—that was all it had taken to leave him broken and dying.
He was no match.
"But…" He struggled to his feet, eyes gleaming with feverish madness. "This… this is the power I've sought for so long! Ahahaha!"
His laughter turned manic, each convulsion sending more blood spraying from his wounds.
Even as his life drained away, he didn't stop laughing.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The five paper kunai embedded in his chest suddenly exploded under Konan's control, tearing his body open further.
Blood gushed like a river, staining the air with a metallic stench.
Alex, nestled at Konan's chest, looked away. Seriously… showing off in front of Konan? You brought this on yourself. She's not exactly the "merciful" type.
Konan advanced, expression cold and unchanging.
Sheets of white paper spiraled outward, wrapping around Shinnō's body layer by layer.
By the time she stood before him, he was already mummified—only his blood-smeared, aged face left exposed.
"Speak," she said icily.
Shinnō spat blood, his eyes burning with defiance. "Fool! The Dark Medical Ninjutsu and this fortress belong to me! You'll never have them!"
He felt the crushing force of the paper tightening around him, but his expression only grew more deranged.
"White Tiger of Akatsuki… you can't kill me! I am immortal!"
A sudden surge of chakra burst from his frail body, accompanied by a strange opposing force pushing against the paper's grip.
For someone on the verge of death, his chakra was swelling instead of fading.
Konan's expression remained calm. "Then die."
If she couldn't extract the information from his mouth, she would simply retrieve it from the fortress itself.
With a flick of her hand, the paper wrapping his body constricted all at once—tightening from every direction, crushing without mercy.
The sound of shattering bone filled the air—crack-crack-crack!—like beans bursting in a hot pan.
Every bone in his body snapped. His muscles collapsed under the pressure. Blood sprayed from every pore, soaking the paper that bound him scarlet.
His screams never came—only the grotesque slack of a mouth frozen wide open, eyes rolling white as the agony stole even his voice.
The suddenness of her strike left him no chance to resist.
Alex floated out from her cloak, his form fluttering softly. A translucent blade of wind gathered at his edge.
—Wind Release: Blade of Wind!
Just to be sure, he'd finish it completely.
With a whisper, the blade spun through the air, circling Shinnō's neck once.
Slice.
His head fell cleanly from his shoulders, rolling across the floor before coming to rest, his lifeless eyes fixed on Konan like a glaring specter.
It was Alex's first time taking a life directly. His emotions were mixed, but calm.
For thirty years, Shinnō had conducted inhumane experiments to master his Dark Medical Ninjutsu. His hands were drenched in innocent blood.
Those who live by slaughter, die by it.
And compared to Konan's strength, his power had been pitiful.
Konan didn't spare him another glance. Shinnō's chakra signature vanished completely—he was dead beyond doubt.
She turned to begin searching the chamber for scrolls and documents…
When—
Something stirred behind her.
The air trembled.
An eerie, pulsing chakra filled the hall.
The corpse of Shinnō—its blood still warm—began to twitch.
A shadow stirred within the crimson pool behind him.
Something was waking.